coentro — Restaurant in Yaiza

Where do I even begin? Coentro isn't just a restaurant; it's a culinary journey that engages all the senses. I am not exaggerating when I say the food was so profoundly delicious it nearly brought tears of happiness to my eyes with the first few bites. It is, hands down, the best tasting and most creative food I have eaten in a very, very long time. ​We opted for the tasting menu, and at €63 per person, it represents incredible value for the level of artistry and flavour on display. Each course was a masterpiece, perfectly paced and beautifully presented. ​I've noticed some people complain about portion sizes, and I feel they misunderstand the concept of a fine dining experience like this. This is a classy tasting menu, designed for you to savour a variety of exquisite, flavour-packed dishes. The portions are perfect for a multi-course meal. It's also completely standard for extras like bread and drinks not to be included in the menu price, so this was fully expected. ​Our final bill for two people, with drinks, came to around €180, and it was worth every single cent for an evening of pure enjoyment and culinary delight. ​While every dish was a winner, the absolute star of the show for me was the squid ink sweet potato puree with octopus. The depth of flavour and the texture were simply out of this world. I could have eaten a bucket of it! ​If you are in Lanzarote and appreciate truly exceptional food, you owe it to yourself to book a table at Coentro. We cannot recommend it highly enough and will 100% be back if we ever return to the island. Thank you for an...

Decent food but sadly a disappointment overall.

My partner and I went for a nice dinner after hearing many great things about Coentro and the adventurous chef. We were very excited. Unfortunately our experience was ruined due to very poor service, which I believe was partially due to discrimination.

Being two young English diners, we were not treated the same as older, wealthier, spanish-speaking diners. We were told we couldn't smoke, only to see a different table offered an ashtray. We were told food wasn't served past 2200, only to see an older couple offered a table at 2145. It was deeply upsetting and made us feel like second class citizens. Also, after heading into the restaurant and asking for the bathrooms, I was ignored as the staff looked at each other and dismissively told each other I was English. A shame, as I am a fluent Spanish speaker so could u derstand what they were saying!

I believe that a restaurant should treat all customers equally, which I do not feel happened here.

Regarding the food - it was good. The dishes were fairly well-sized with good flavours. A lot of salt on a few which isn't to my liking, and some were over flavoured, masking natural flavours (i.e. scallops and ceviche), but generally few complaints with the food.

We will not be returning, and would recommend that the restaurant staff consider how they treat their patrons. Even if we don't seem like we know what good service is, it's not worth the risk as a serious...

2021 UPDATE We first visited here just before the pandemic (below) and it was the first place I looked for when we booked to come back. The location has changed from sleepy, expat Montana Roja to Puerto Calero but the food is even better than before. From airy whipped fish croquetas, to a smoky prawn moqueca to an indulgent braised pork cheek it’s hands down near perfect. Swerve the pizza and chips and tourist fodder nearby and give this place a try, it’s exceptional.

March 2020: In a laid back corner of the island is this absolute gem, Coentro. The place is in a new quiet neighbourhood and the decor looks like a chilled out cafe but the food is anything but. Astonishingly vibrant dishes, bold flavours and a team that puts their heart and soul into every element. This was amazing.

If you’re staying here, why aren’t you here every night? If you’re on the island, make a special trip and book it now. Hell, even if you’re not on the island bookmark it and make sure you get here someday....